The latest round of tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump drew swift criticism from trading partners across Asia, Europe and the Pacific after Washington imposed new duties of 10% to 12.5% on goods from 60 economies, citing alleged failures to enforce bans on products made with forced labour.

The measures took effect just after a temporary 10% global tariff expired at 12:01 am on Friday, adding a fresh layer of tension to Trump’s trade agenda, which has repeatedly faced legal and political pushback in the US.

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A diplomatic eyebrow is firmly raised

Australia was among the most forceful critics. Trade Minister Don Farrell rejected any suggestion that Australia, a major exporter of beef, gold and copper, had ties to forced labour, saying the country takes modern slavery seriously and will keep doing so.

He called the higher tariffs “completely unjustified” and said Australia would continue to press Washington to remove them.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon described the move as “extremely disappointing” while also calling the tariffs unjustified and harmful to trade.

The US investigation used as the basis for the duties did not provide meaningful evidence for the forced-labour claims.

Not quite a united chorus

A British government spokesman said the latest tariffs would have “no negative change” on exports, adding that the US had recognised steps taken by the UK and that there were no additional tariffs for Britain under the announcement.

In the European Union (EU), a spokesperson said the bloc viewed the outcome positively because it remained in line with the US-EU tariff commitments set out in a joint statement.

Japan, however, objected more sharply. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said it was “regrettable” that tariffs had been imposed on the basis that Japan lacked a system banning imports of forced-labour goods, even though Japanese industry and trade operate under international norms.

Japan said it had confirmation from Washington that total tariffs would not exceed 15%, the rate set in an earlier agreement.

The tariff tale grows rather untidy

China rejected the US move outright. The foreign ministry said it “opposes all forms of unilateral tariffs”, and spokesman Lin Jian said tariff wars and trade wars do not serve anyone’s interests.

Singapore said it would continue engaging with the US trade representative to explore options, while South Korea said the announcement reduced some uncertainty even as a separate US investigation continued.

India’s textile and apparel sector also flagged a possible commercial hit, with the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry warning that differential treatment could divert sourcing orders away from India.

The broad response underscored how quickly the tariffs, framed by Washington as a labour-enforcement measure, have reopened disputes with major trading partners over trade rules, exemptions and the limits of US legal authority.

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FAQs

Q1: Why did the US impose new tariffs on 60 trading partners?

The US said the tariffs were introduced because it believes the affected countries have not done enough to prevent imports linked to forced labour.

Q2: How have major US trading partners responded to the new tariffs?

Several countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and China, criticised the tariffs, calling them unjustified or expressing concern over their impact on global trade.